Sliding shoe for furniture.



No. 827,806. PATENTED AUG 7, 1906.

v .0. G. LITTLE.

SLIDING SHOE FOE; FURNITURE.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. 15, 1905.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY by causing dir'iiculty UNITED srarns @Ehlltllt.

ORTON C. LITTLE, OF MENASHA, WlSCONSIN.

SLlDlNG SHQE FOR FlJFlNl'l'UlFllEw No. 827,806. Specification of Letters Patent. Eatented Aug. 7, 1808.

Application filed March 15,1905. Serial No. 250,175.

My invention is illustrated in the accoma panyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan or top view of the device To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, Onron C. LrrTLE, citizen of the United States, residing at Menasha, in the county of Winnebago and State of l it appears in looking downward upon 1t, WVisconsin, have invented a new and useful excepting that in the preferred. form the ears Improvement in Sliding Shoes for Furniture, 1 for partially surrounding the ball of the uniof which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for use upon furniture-legs or upon other articles which it is desired to move a short distance instead of the common wheel-casters, whose a continuous wall surrounds the ball. l l faults are many, it consisting of a circular.

l l l Fi 2 is a vertical section, upon the line as of Fig. 1, of the sliding shoe and its socket and of the leg of a piece of furniture and a side elevation of a stem for connecting the shoe and furniture, the stem being provided with a globular end for working loosely within said shoe-socket. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the sliding shoe with its socket in the preferred form and the globular end of the stem in said sock'et, the stem being shown. in a vertical position by heavy lines and by dotted lines in an angular position upon opposite sides of the vertical. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the stem for entering the furniture-leg with its globular end. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the shoe and its socket as shown in Fig. 1, it being a modification of the socket as shown in Fig. 1 relative to the part of the shoesocket which surrounds the ball, as shown in Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 shows a modification of the form of the stein or part having the globular end for connection with the article to be moved. Fig. 7 is a plan of a housing for covering the ball-and-socketjoint of the device.

Similar numerals indicate like parts in the several views.

1 indicates a circular disk having a flat lower side 1 and a socket 2 or 2 upon its upper side, the socket being adapted for receiving and holding therein the globular end 3, which. is integral with the stem 4 or 4*.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, which is in the preferred. form, the ball may first be shoe for supporting the article to be moved, said shoe-having a flat and smooth lower surface for sliding along upon the floor, its outer edge being curved upward, a centrally-arranged socket upon its upper side in which is fitted a globular body having a stein extend ing outward therefrom for connection with the furniture or article to be moved, said i globular body and socket forming a ballandsocket or universal joint whereby said shoe can assume any position relative to the article to be moved that is likely to occur. l Persons at all conversant with. the usual l wheel-casters are aware of some of their obl jectionable features, among which is the eX- l l trcmely small surface that awheel presents for the support of the article to wl'iich the caster may be attached, which surface if it be up ona carpet or rug will often make a nearly permanent indentation that when uncovered will present an unsightly appearance. Another is that the wheel of the caster often fails to revolve, which is often for the reason that the wheel fails to assume a position parallel witl the desired line of movement, and therein running the caster over a rug or over a threshold. Still another difliculty is that of lubricating both the whee. and its pivotal holder. These objections are all obviated in my invention. A large circular and fiat surface is presented for the support of the article'to which the shoe is at taehed, said surface being made very smooth and glassy, the outer edge of the shoe being curved upward, so that in sliding the shoe along on floor or carpet it can easily slide over slight obstructions, and the shoe and its stem being connected by means of a universal joint the shoe can easily assume the position'required for sliding over quite an obstruction, and, furthermore, the ball and socket are at all times in a position for the anplication to them of a little oil for lubricating said joint. l

ered with an adhesive molding sand or mate rial, placed in the mold, and the material of which the shoe is formed pressed or poured into the mold around the ball to a point above its center and to a sufficient height for holding the ball therein, as shown in said figure. After waiting awhile for the cast to become. of the proper condition for being handled upon manipulating the stem and working out the sand said stem, while it is securely held in the socket, can be turned to any re uired angle, as it is shown inv dotted lines in *ig. 3

or steel, and the ball may be formed upon its versal joint are omitted and in place thereof.

formed as near spherical possible, then cov- The rod is intended to be of wrought 1ron.

- place.

end by drop-forging, the end of the rod. In Fig. 6 a modification of the form of the stem is shown for adapting it for connection with the article to which it is desired to apply it. The upper end is pro vided with a flange 6, through which screws may be inserted for securing the shoe in A cover or housing 7 is shown in Fig.2, as it can be applied over the ball-and-socket joint for excluding dust, if so desired, and also for retaining the ball 3 within the socket, the housing consisting of a thin sheet of metal or other suitable material cut to the desired form and macledishing. It is provided with a central perforation 8 of a diameter sufhcient for allowing the stern 4 to as sume an angular position" with reference to the shoe. It may be provided with ears 10 for being bent over the outer edge of the slide, as is shown in its plan in Fig. 7. Upon the stem in Fig. 2 a washer 11 is placed, it resting upon the shoulder 9, and the leg of furniture 12 is supported upon said washer and upon the top of the stem 4.

I do not confine the making of the shoe to any one material, as it may be cast of a suitor it may be cast onto able metal and,

may be formed in a mold of porcelain, glass,

or other material that is adapted for it for various requirements of the o a circular, fiat-bottomed disk having its outer edge curved upward and a socket cenadapted for being to be moved and having a globular body fitted to oscillate within said socket, the combination therewith of a housing, consistingof a sheet-metal plate of an inverted dishing form, a central perforation therein, and means around its, outer edge for its connection with the upper edge of s-aid shoe by b tion thereof over said edge, substantially as described.

ORTON O. LITTLE. Witnesses:

E. L. MATHEWSON. E. 0. Hook.

ending a porif desired, enameled,'or it In a sliding shoe for furniture, consisting 11y arranged upon its upper side, a stem connected with the article 40 

